


No one cares

by sklbug15



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 21st Century, Friends to Lovers, Jealous Arthur, M/M, Pining, Post-Canon, resurrected arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 08:43:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10963713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sklbug15/pseuds/sklbug15
Summary: A recently resurrected Arthur comes to the realization that no one knows who he is or cares what he does. (Or who he does for that matter.) That and something he has long been curious about is finally answered.





	No one cares

The tavern was loud. Voices spilled out into the night through the door that had just been opened. Arthur silently followed Merlin inside, blue eyes darting around wildly. In the past five months since he'd been back, this was only his third time out among the public. The resurrected King followed his friend to a small, unsteady table in the corner. He immediately sat down, his back to the wall as he watched the others around them. None even so much cast a glance at him, yet Arthur was still unsettled, hand twitching to where his sword would have, should have been.   
"I'll go and grab something to drink," Merlin smiled at him, the blond smiled back, nerves settling for a second, as he focused on the familiar smile.  
"I can go," Arthur said, going to stand back up.   
Merlin chuckled, "I don't think you're ready to order a drink in the 21st century," he turned away to head to the bar.   
The blond scowled. How hard was it to order a drink? He could do it, he'd done it when he was a prince and drinking couldn't have changed that much. He tapped his fingers against the table he was sitting at.   
Glancing around his eyes settled on two men sitting at the next table over. One was leaning in towards the other, hand on his arm, as he spoke softly into his ear. Arthur shifted in his seat, the intimacy between the two men, causing his stomach to swirl. He forced his eyes away.   
He glanced over at Merlin who was talking animatedly to the woman on the other side of the bar. Something in his stomach twisted at this. He pulled his blue eyes away and found himself looking at the two men again. The smaller one pressed against the larger one as he bent his head down to whisper something in his ear. Arthur glanced around. No one seemed to care, or notice. 

He bit his lip. He wasn't stupid, he knew that there were men out there who found other men appealing. Just, back when he was alive the first time, they hid. It was never something that was done out in the open. Well, sometimes when one had imbibed too much at the tavern, in which case most others averted their eyes. He had seen it once, when he was about 15 and had snuck in. One of his knights had been drinking copious amounts and had publicly kissed his friend he had come to the tavern with. Later after they had both stumbled out of the tavern together, the curious Prince had waited and then had gone out "to take a piss" and had rounded the corner to find the two with their pants around their ankles definitely not urinating. He had watched unnoticed for a moment, then had gone home. 

Arthur glanced back at Merlin. He was laughing at something the woman had said. The blond found his fists clenching on top of the table, found that he wanted to get up and go over there, found that he didn't like the way she was looking at his servant. 

Back before he had become King, Arthur spent, admittedly what was probably too much, time wondering if Merlin was at the tavern so much because he liked other men and that was the only place he could find one who would return his affections. He had certainly never seen his manservant with a woman. After his father died, Arthur became too busy to wonder about Merlin's love life. His curiosity had come back to him after Gwen had told him Merlin had a girl, but then the manservant had shown up with a limp. Arthur had pretty much concluded that the young man had found someone and told himself not to think too much of it as he had a kingdom to run, as well as a wife. 

The two men were full on kissing now. Arthur's stomach swooped as he watched them. Still, no one seemed to care about them. He glanced down at his hands. No one cared about him either. They didn't know him. It wasn't like when he was Prince or later King. Everything he had ever done had mattered. All eyes were on him. Always. Since the day he was born and the Queen had died. Something that had pressed heavy on him. Like his life wasn't his own and he couldn't waste it. He had to make the Kingdom proud. Make his Father proud. 

Merlin was now talking to the man behind the counter, the woman had moved down the bar and was talking to some others. His smile seemed even bigger. 

Arthur remembered when he had met his manservant. How he had flashed back to the knight and the other man. How he had wondered what it would be like to be with another male. For the briefest of moments he had thought that if he were very careful he could track the boy down and just see what it was like. The knight had seemed to enjoy it. The next morning at practice he had seemed happier than usual. None of the others had said anything. Of course before he could try, his father had made Merlin his manservant. That was when Arthur knew nothing could ever happen with them. There would be no walking away no matter the turnout. He had pushed those impulses down and eventually begun pursuing Guinevere. He had found it so easy to love her. In the present day he felt a pang as he thought of his long dead wife. 

Once again his eyes went to the two men. They had pulled away and were talking softly now, soft smiles on their faces. The smaller one had his hand in the other's light brown hair.  
When Arthur had lain dying he was on the verge of telling Merlin, telling him everything. The other man had been so distressed however, the king had stopped himself. What would the point have been? Just to make Merlin hurt worse, if indeed he had felt anything. He settled for having the sorcerer hold him in his arms.

Merlin returned with the drinks. "Hey are you okay?" Merlin asked Arthur, studying him intently. "Yea, I'm fine," Arthur said, his eyes falling down for a brief second to look at Merlin's lips. "Just thinking," he mumbled. "No wonder you looked so pained," his friend said back. Arthur rolled his eyes, but grinned. 

The two had just barely stepped through the door of Merlin's house when Arthur made a decision. Merlin let out a squeak when he found the other man's lips on his, his back up against the wall. The front door slammed shut behind them.   
"What, what are you doing?" Merlin gasped out as Arthur's lips attached themselves to his neck.   
"No one knows me. No one cares what I do. No one cares who I'm with," the blond admitted breathlessly. Arms tightened around back as Merlin pressed his body closer, "I care who you're with," he panted out. Arthur pulled back, blue eyes staring at him. Their lips met again.

Clothes trailed throughout the house, up the stairs to Merlin's bedroom. Sheets were tossed on the floor. On the bed, the centuries old sorcerer moved with the vigor of the twenty something year old that he looked like, a resurrected King moaning from under him.   
"I love you," Merlin panted out. Arthur smiled at him before he came, his lover coming after him.   
Once their breathing had settled, and Merlin had cleaned the mess with a flash of his eyes, bringing the sheet back to the bed as well, Arthur looked over him, "I love you too," he responded softly. They curled up together, falling asleep. 

Sunlight drifted in through the window as Arthur Pendragon woke up. Centuries later he finally knew what it was like to be with another man. It was better than he'd ever imagined. He snuggled closer to the still sleeping Merlin. He thought he could get used to this century after all.


End file.
